Violence, Trauma, Radical Empathy In The Atlanta Opera's 'Dead Man Walking'

The Atlanta Opera's production of "Dead Man Walking" tells the
story of Sister Helen Prejean and her relationship with death row
inmate Joseph de Rocher. It's based on Prejean's real-life book
chronicling her prison ministry. Prejean wrote about her
experiences as a spriritual counselor to death row inmates Elmo
Patrick Sonnier and Robert Lee Willie in the book, which the
production amalgamates into de Rocher's character. GPB's Sarah
Zaslaw spoke to Tomer Zvulun , the Atlanta Opera's artistic
director, and Georgia native Jamie Barton , who plays Sister Helen
in the production. They discussed ideas of justice, forgiveness and
how the opera wrestles with the dignity of victims and perpetrators
of violence.